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Babcock wants his stars to believe less is more

In Wednesday's game, Henrik Zetterberg's ice time drifted up to an average of 51 seconds over 29 shifts. Pavel Datsyuk averaged 50 seconds over 27 shifts. Coach Mike Babcock would like to see that down around 35 seconds per sortie, which he concedes actually means you likely get the player off the ice after about 40.

Red Wings stars Henrik Zetterberg, right, and Pavel Datsyuk celebrate a goal by teammate Tomas Holmstrom during Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final in Pittsburgh on May 26, 2008. (MIKE CASSESE / REUTERS)

By Paul HunterSPORTS REPORTER

Fri., May 30, 2008

PITTSBURGH–Henrik Zetterberg remembers another time when his coach tried to break him.

His Red Wings were in Minnesota this season, sweating out a practice, and Mike Babcock decided to make a point. The night before, Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk – Detroit's two star forwards – had let their shifts creep up to average over a minute.

So the coach skated them hard in a series of one-minute sprints, over and over until their legs burned.

"We had to skate the length of our shifts. My shift lengths were 1:01," recalled Zetterberg. "We were bag skating for a minute, seven or eight times. And he said, `You can't play like this.' We pretty much agreed. He's been on us a few times over the year."

Babcock was on his stars again yesterday, re-emphasizing that less is more when it comes to ice time. In Wednesday's game, Zetterberg's ice time drifted up to an average of 51 seconds over 29 shifts. Datsyuk averaged 50 seconds over 27 shifts. Babcock would like to see that down around 35 seconds per sortie, which he concedes actually means you likely get the player off the ice after about 40.

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The difference doesn't sound significant but where it hurts, besides in the quad muscles, is at the end of longer shifts, players are more prone to make mistakes or to lose races for the puck. It also hurts the flow of other players who are out of the game longer.

"Don't get me wrong, these guys are elite, elite players and they're trying to win. Sometimes in doing that, instead of just doing your part, you're on the ice too much," said Babcock.

"We want them to play that many shifts but we want the tempo coming off our bench to be better."

It's easier said then done.

"Sometimes if you've been on there for 30 seconds and you have a chance to go out for another rush, it's tough to go to the bench," said Zetterberg. "Sometimes you want to create some more offence. Sometimes you get caught out there and you pay for it in the end."

Ice time would be less of an issue if Zetterberg and Datsyuk were actually producing. But Detroit's two big gunners have only one goal – from Zetterberg – in the first three games of the Stanley Cup final. They were held pointless in Wednesday's 3-2 loss and Datsyuk has yet to pick up a point in the series. Zetterberg has an assist.

That's in contrast to Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby, who broke out of his mini-slump with two big goals in Game 3. The Pens' other offensive star, Evgeni Malkin, remains something of an enigma with zero points in the three games, though he was more involved on Wednesday.

Zetterberg and Datsyuk have been playing well and creating chances with their superior skills. Datsyuk landed an outstanding hit on Ryan Malone in Game 3 and the two have shown the defensive smarts that make them worthy of their Selke Trophy nominations.

But they need to chip in offensively. Both players are on the No. 1 power-play unit as well and that group has also been struggling despite an abundance of ice time.

"The second unit says, `How come you keep putting the first unit out first then?'" said the coach.

"Our top group is being a little too fine right now. But they're real proud guys. Before the game when we were going through the power play and none of the clips were them, they know."

Zetterberg knows Wednesday's game wasn't his finest hour.

"I take some of the blame for the loss," he said. "I played a lot of minutes and I was on the ice for one of their goals and I was not on the ice for any of ours so for sure I take some of the blame."

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